Ericeira – Pedra Branca

Ericeira · Lisbon coast · Portugal

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Pedra Branca is a hollow left over a shallow reef at the south end of Praia da Empa, just north of Ericeira town. It is one of the few lefts in Ericeira and one of the best in Portugal, with fast, tubing walls. It works from small to very big swells, but a wipeout can put you on almost dry reef.

Level
Experts only
Break
Reef break, reef
Waves
Lefts
Crowd
Crowded
Season
autumn, winter
Boards
A shortboard or bodyboard.

When it works

✓ A 1.5–3 m west to south-west swell with an east wind, from mid to high tide on the rise.

When it doesn't

✕ Low tide, when the reef is too shallow, and northerly or westerly winds.

Watch out for

  • reef
  • rocks
  • localism
  • crowds

Best months

October, November, December, January, February

Local tips

Wear booties for the urchins. Watch the locals to learn where the take-off sits on each tide.

Getting there

From Ericeira towards Ribeira d'Ilhas, turn left onto the sand track just after the restaurant on the main road; the reef is right below.

Travel notes

How often it works
Fairly consistent from autumn into winter, when groundswells arrive. Summer is mostly flat.
Crowd and vibe
It has a large local following and gets busy when it works. The mood is based on respect: wait your turn.
Camping and vans
Ericeira Camping at Mil Regos, on the N247 just north of town, is open all year and sits about 200 m from the sea. Next to it, the Mil Regos motorhome area has about 15 places with water and waste disposal. Portuguese law limits motorhome overnight stays to 48 hours outside campsites and bans them in protected areas. Nearest campsite about 0.5 km away.
Facilities
No facilities at the reef; Ericeira town is a short walk south.
Water quality
No official bathing-water point here; nearby Praia do Norte (Algodio) was rated excellent in 2025 (APA).

Ideal conditions

Swell
WSW–WNW best, SW–NNW works
Size
1.5–3 m offshore swell; starts at 1.2 m, holds to 4.5 m
Period
11 s minimum, best from 14 s
Wind
Offshore NE–SE; handles onshore up to 8 km/h
Tide
mid, high best, avoid low, on the rising tide
Faces
W (280°)

Live cam

Cams © their operators, shown from the operator's own feed.

Nearby spots

All spots in Lisbon coast · All spots

Sources